Opinion on the "Chosen One" trope
- Thread starter Relish in Chaos
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Eh, I'm mostly fine with it.
The way I see it, Chosen Ones are self-fulfilling prophecies. Old Prophet hypes up the hero to save the world, which makes Hero go on arduous journey, making him strong enough to save the world. He wouldn't have been powerful enough without the prophecy to get him started.
Or, at least, that's how I see it.
The way I see it, Chosen Ones are self-fulfilling prophecies. Old Prophet hypes up the hero to save the world, which makes Hero go on arduous journey, making him strong enough to save the world. He wouldn't have been powerful enough without the prophecy to get him started.
Or, at least, that's how I see it.
One series in which I think the ?Chosen One? trope actually works is for Griffith in Berserk. Only flaw I can say there is that I wish we knew more about his background and motivations. But at the moment, the fact that he?s either good or evil for Midland depending on which perspective you take (even taking into account what happened at the Eclipse) is interesting for me.
@CommanderL: I understand all that, but who?s to say that Voldemort was wrong, and he attacked the wrong person? Why couldn?t the ?Chosen One? be a more interesting character, like Neville Longbottom, Hermione, or even Ron? That would make for a nice twist.
Then again, my memory?s a bit scratchy on the later books with the Horcruxes and everything. I?m still a bit annoyed at how, despite everything Dumbledore says about Voldemort believing in the prophecy is what made it true, he still acts out some favouritism towards Harry and his friends.
@Happyninja42: Yeah, that?s fair enough, about Neo in The Matrix. Just that everyone didn?t think Morpheus might?ve been wrong for no reason. Not to mention Cypher was going to kill Neo if Tank didn?t somehow regain consciousness after that shot and kill him before he could yank out Neo?s plug.
Indeed, Neo got character development, but?I dunno, I just didn?t like the fact that the very reason Morpheus brings him into the Matrix is because he believes Neo is the One.
@CommanderL: I understand all that, but who?s to say that Voldemort was wrong, and he attacked the wrong person? Why couldn?t the ?Chosen One? be a more interesting character, like Neville Longbottom, Hermione, or even Ron? That would make for a nice twist.
Then again, my memory?s a bit scratchy on the later books with the Horcruxes and everything. I?m still a bit annoyed at how, despite everything Dumbledore says about Voldemort believing in the prophecy is what made it true, he still acts out some favouritism towards Harry and his friends.
@Happyninja42: Yeah, that?s fair enough, about Neo in The Matrix. Just that everyone didn?t think Morpheus might?ve been wrong for no reason. Not to mention Cypher was going to kill Neo if Tank didn?t somehow regain consciousness after that shot and kill him before he could yank out Neo?s plug.
Indeed, Neo got character development, but?I dunno, I just didn?t like the fact that the very reason Morpheus brings him into the Matrix is because he believes Neo is the One.
I'm kinda over it. If its gonna be used, I'd rather it be a foot note near the end, that's quickly swatted away as not mattering, rather then the whole reason anything is getting done in terms of 'saving the world'.
come to thing of it, I'm also tired of having to save the world all the time to, the stakes don't need to be that high all the time to be compelling.
come to thing of it, I'm also tired of having to save the world all the time to, the stakes don't need to be that high all the time to be compelling.
Sometimes I dislike it, sometimes I quite like it, depending mostly on the tone of the book/film/game/whathaveyou.
I'm not a fan of it in The Matrix, for example, because I could have happily done without all the messianic stuff. The trilogy takes itself pretty damn seriously, which is undermined when Neo's magic powers start manifesting in the non-Matrix, and he can see despite being blind and all that. I expect more intricacy and less predictability from something that takes itself so seriously.
In the Legend of Zelda, though, I don't mind it at all. I quite like Sahasrahla telling me I'm the only one who can save Hyrule. The game knows what it wants to be: a fairly straightforward tale of magic and monsters and dungeons (all the timeline stuff notwithstanding). So, I'm happy with the trope there.
I'm not a fan of it in The Matrix, for example, because I could have happily done without all the messianic stuff. The trilogy takes itself pretty damn seriously, which is undermined when Neo's magic powers start manifesting in the non-Matrix, and he can see despite being blind and all that. I expect more intricacy and less predictability from something that takes itself so seriously.
In the Legend of Zelda, though, I don't mind it at all. I quite like Sahasrahla telling me I'm the only one who can save Hyrule. The game knows what it wants to be: a fairly straightforward tale of magic and monsters and dungeons (all the timeline stuff notwithstanding). So, I'm happy with the trope there.
It can be done well (such as in Avatar: The Last Airbender), but it's also easy to do badly.
I actually think Dark Souls handled the trope really well.
I actually think Dark Souls handled the trope really well.
The chosen one prophecy you have been fed throughout the beginning of the game is a lie created to manipulate you into prolonging the age of the Gods. Admittedly you're still regarded as the chosen one by Kaathe, but for all we know he could just be manipulating you as well.
The thing is the only reason there is a chosen one is becuase voldemort chose if voldemort ignored the procphey it wouldnt have been worth a damn and speaken of neville he was also a candate for the chosen one meeting all the conditions but since voldemort went after the one he deemed a threat -a half blood like himself- he handed harry the means and power to destory him if voldemort didnt do anything at all and ignored it the propchey wouldnt have made it by marking harry and trying to kill him he also instilled in harry the same disire to kill him there was no right or wrong in it by trying to fufill it he made harry the one to kill himRelish in Chaos said:
I'm perfectly fine with it as long as the protagonist isn't given some great divine blessing. Or at least from the get-go. In Fallout 2, the main character was "chosen" by the elders because of lineage and their belief he/she will secure the GECK. Of course, it's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy as they send the Chosen One along his/her merry way in the first place. From then on, it's the Chosen One's own agency that saves the world, not some prophecy. Above all, the main character is mortal.
I don't want the MC given super powers. At least, I'd want them to earn said super powers.
Mind you, I also enjoy a deconstruction of the divine bless trope where the blessing isn't so "divine". Mortal Kombat: Deception kind of did this well.
I don't want the MC given super powers. At least, I'd want them to earn said super powers.
Mind you, I also enjoy a deconstruction of the divine bless trope where the blessing isn't so "divine". Mortal Kombat: Deception kind of did this well.